From Mark Coker
And finally, some goals. The lads played pretty well, as you can
figure by the score. There was less reliance on the boot forward
and hope-to-hold-posession approach so evident in last Wednesday's
match. Niall Thompson started in favor of Jason Dunn, who came in for
Thompson at the start of the second half. I think Jason's insertion
may have been the turning point for the team. The Sounder's play
seemed even more patient after he came in. The goals were all
screamers, each from a ways out. Can't fault their keeper--these
shots really had some mustard on them.

Obviously a needed win. The high quality of play, against a team
that seems to have our number this year has to be a
confidence-builder for this team.

And now the Ron Stickney Account (tm)...
The Seattle Sounders ended their goal drought with a 3-0 win over the
visiting Colorado Foxes. Seattle had scored only five goals in the previous
eight games since leading scorer Chance Fry had his leg broken. Defender
James Dunn scored the first goal early in the game. In the second half,
Jason Farrell crossed to Tom Bialek for the second goal and scored the third
himself from a Jason Dunn cross. Defensively, Seattle kept Colorado forwards
Walter Boyd and Wolde Harris, who had been dangerous in previous matches with
the Sounders, bottled up.

Colorado had the early chances. Walter Boyd got free for a shot from the
right in the 4th minute to force the game's first save by Marcus Hahnemann.
Chris Sarver's 30-yarder was also saved.

At 17' James Dunn scored his first goal in an A-League match (he scored one
last year when the Sounders trounced the USISL Everett BigFoot in a US Open
Cup match). Dunn, a defender, threw the ball in from the right touch line to
Wade Webber, who flicked the ball on into the goal mouth. Colorado cleared
the ball out into open space, but Dunn got there first to blast a low 25-yard
shot past the near post and the surprised keeper, Trey Harrington. Seattle
1-0.

Soon after the restart, Scott Patterson received the ball in front of the
goal, but his 20-yard shot, which looked like it would have beaten the
keeper, was barely wide right. Colorado would get no more good shots the
rest of the half.

For Seattle, Jason Farrell advanced the ball up the left touch line, then cut
across the field to earn a 20-yard shot, saved by Harrington. Player/coach
Neil Megson dove low in the area trying to head on goal, but couldn't get a
good shot in. U-23 Canadian Niall Thompson, playing his second match for the
Sounders after injuring his hamstring in his first, got the ball 12 yards out
from the right post with space, but his second touch volley wasn't well
struck.

Near the end of the half, Seattle's Dick McCormick beat a man to earn a
20-yard shot from the right, but his blast hit the wrong side of the net.

Two minutes into injury time, Sounder Joey Leonetti was called for a foul on
Wolde Harris. Colorado took too much time setting up the free kick, so
referee Oscar Myre blew his whistle, ending the half! Seattle at the half,
1-0.

Seattle forward Jason Dunn started the second half in place of Niall
Thompson. Seattle's Leonetti got the second half's first good opportunity
under pressure from the spot, but sent the ball over the bar.

Tom Bialek scored his second goal as a Sounder at 52' to put Seattle up 2-0.
Doug Morrill started the play by sending a nice pass to Jason Farrell in
space on the right. Farrell spotted Bialek unmarked on the opposite side and
sent a long, curving cross over the crowd in front of the goal to an
onrushing Bialek's feet. Bialek volleyed the ball first touch low inside the
far post.

At 59' Carsten Siersbaek and Noah Epstein replaced Stoner Tadlock and Walter
Boyd for Colorado. Ten minutes later they combined for a good chance,
Siersbaek crossing to an unmarked Epstein, whose header was wide left.
Later, Epstein earned an open shot from the right, but his 20-yard blast
looked like a replay of McCormick's earlier shot as it hit the outside of the
net.

At 79' Colorado's Harris got his first shot in, a 20-yard header from a
cross, caught by Hahnemann. With five minutes to go Arron Lujan replaced
Harris.

Three minutes from time Farrell finished the game's scoring. After McCormick
held the ball in the right corner, he back-heeled the ball to Jason Dunn, who
had room to work since his marker had gone to double-team McCormick in the
corner. Dunn sent a low cross along the 18-yard line that Megson dummied
nicely and Farrell volleyed into the net. Final score, Seattle 3-0.

At 88' newly-signed midfielder Greg Veatch, identifiable by his pony tail
hair, came on for Morrill to log his first minutes as a Sounder, but never
got an opportunity to show his skills.